


Knocked Off Balance

by Phoebeus



Series: These Days We Celebrate [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Awkward boys are awkward, Canon Compliant, Gen, M/M, games bring us together, pre-puzzleshipping feels, romantic or platonic at your discretion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 04:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9960596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebeus/pseuds/Phoebeus
Summary: Where in a tumble in the dirt leads to a chat in the bedroom.[Installment in "These Days We Celebrate" - A series focused on Yuugi & Yami no Yuugi's bond between the defeat of Pegasus and introduction of Otogi.]





	

**:: Oct 20 - Sports Day ::**

“Everyone, get ready to pull!”

“Tch-” Jounouchi snorted, glowering over a good dozen shoulders at their hated gym teacher. “That windbag, why’s he have to be so formal about it? It’s just tug-of-war.”

“Yeah…” Honda echoed from behind him in a calmer, more concerned tone as he looked over his shoulder, towards the two holding the rope just at his back. “He even insisted on where we should stand! Are you going to be alright back there?”

“Haha, it can’t be helped…” laughed the good-natured, white-haired youth standing right behind Yuugi, as the small boy himself grinned reassuringly up at his concerned friend.

“I’m fine, Honda-kun! We’re all pulling it together, so I’m not worried.” It’d be _one_ thing if Yuugi had to play this game one-on-one with someone, or even in a small group, where his contribution would still be major, but this was a massive fifteen-on-fifteen game! He wouldn’t tip the scales too badly for the group.

A vague ruffled feeling fluttered through him- So light he wasn’t certain if it was a shift inside of his mind, or just a bad shift of a muscle in his neck or back. He went still for a breath, waiting for any follow-up tell… but nothing. If it was _him_ , he was too buried within his soul right then for Yuugi to sense him well- And he certainly wasn’t trying to tell Yuugi anything or take over himself, if that were the case.

The spirit hadn’t tried to come out at all, really, in the last few days…

Ever since Yuugi acknowledged him back during Death-T, the spirit had never hesitated to let Yuugi know if he wanted to ‘take over’ when there was trouble, or he wanted to speak to one of their friends. And sometimes, the spirit just ‘needed a minute’ to himself, to be alone or… just observe. Yuugi didn’t really get it, but he never begrudged the spirit those moments, or refused him if he asked.

But, he _hadn’t_ asked lately, or come out at all. Not since they came back from Duelist Island.

Perhaps he was still gathering himself… His other self had certainly been caught up in some heavy thoughts when they left that island a few days ago. Yuugi _thought_ he had put those issues to rest with him, when he used that newfound ability to appear _beside_ him to reassure him that he and their friends cared about the spirit… But, maybe his other self was still worrying over what happened with Pegasus?

He didn’t know- But he also didn’t exactly have a lot of time to dwell on the issue.

He had found his grandpa when he got home, spent the whole week catching up on homework he missed on the trip- And now it was Sports Day, at school, and he had a rope under his hands.

“ _Three… two… one…_ ”

A whistle blew, and the rope _jerked_ , so hard that Yuugi nearly lost it at once! But he grabbed and held on, pulled with _all his might_ as everyone heaved and grunted around him, strained to keep pulling and keep their feet as they slid in the dirt, and-

And he didn’t know what happened, but one instant he was stepping backwards, making ground – was that someone, counting down? – the next, the rope under his hands gave way like everyone had let go of the other end, and he and everyone else _wasn’t ready_!

“Aaah-”

He toppled back, his foot catching on something and giving a quick, far-too-late warning tremor, and then his ankle and his _whole_ body _screamed_ as he fell flat to the ground- And weight thumped into him again, and again.

“ _Gah_ -” He gasped for breath, heard the cursing and yelling and questions about him, but his world was a thrum of dizzy pain and crunched breath, because _there were still people on top of him_!

And amongst it all he felt it- That other mind, suddenly right up close to his, alarm and indignation and concern rushing through him as he tried to get up on his elbows and was blocked- By Honda.

“Gah- Man, that Puzzle’s sharp, Yuugi! _Get off of me,_ Jounouchi!”

“Tell that to this guy on me- _Come on, man_!”

It took some maneuvering, and grunting, but within a few seconds Yuugi could _breathe_ again, and his friends were apologizing and getting up, and the spirit was softening back away from his awareness, clearly displeased by events but finding nothing to intervene with or ask about… until Yuugi moved to rise, and _pain_ shot up his leg again.

He clutched his ankle, gritting his teeth to keep his outburst inside his own head, where only one person would have to worry.

_Partner?_

“Hey, Yuugi? You okay there?”

“What’s the holdup here?!” The harsh voice cut through the worry inside and outside of Yuugi’s mind, and he looked up passed his hovering friends to see the gym teacher there, frowning over them all. “Come on, you won your game! It’s bad enough you kept pulling after I counted down and all fell over, _now_ what’s wrong? You’re holding up the next round!”

“Hey man,” Jounouchi started, standing up to face the teacher with the same glare Yuugi felt humming in the back of his head. “Yuugi fell under us and got hurt- We need to get him to the nurse!”

“Jounouchi-kun, that’s-” Yuugi tried to stall him, because he hadn’t even _tried_ walking on it yet, but the teacher sniffed through his own reaction, glowering belittlingly down at him.

“What, you need a _nurse_ after one little tumble? Honestly- _Fine_ , we shouldn’t move him then. I’ll signal for them to delay the next game, and you can wait _right there_.”

“But that’s-!” Jounouchi started, and Honda and Bakura were quick to glower, too- They all saw what the teacher was doing. They could have just quietly moved away, gone to the stationed nurse, but no- He wanted to leave Yuugi out on the field and draw _everyone’s_ attention – the competing students and the watching crowd – to the boy who was holding up the games. He saw him as weak for getting hurt, so he was trying to shame him for it!

At least, that was the theory that slid through Yuugi’s head, and he couldn’t say for certain _who_ had thought it, because the spirit was grazing _right_ next to him, his thoughts and his rage drifting over him like the perfume of a body lingering close enough to smell. It was that moment- He had been through it enough to recognize it, that split second just before his other took over their body.

And he couldn’t even say how he did it – he had done so before, but never _upon_ take over, only after – but Yuugi pushed him back.

Reached out and pressed his hand against a ‘chest’ in a staying gesture.

‘No,’ he thought into the void of himself, where the spirit lived. ‘I can handle it.’

The spirit stuttered, stayed his intent as confusion… _hesitance_ replaced the rage, but Yuugi turned his focus outward, and frowned up at the teacher. “That’s not necessary. I don’t need the nurse.” Putting his hand to the ground, he used the pain that spiked up as inspiration to rise- To get back up, onto his own feet.

His ankle screamed, and though he said nothing, Yuugi could feel the distress the spirit felt, ‘standing’ _right there_ watching this without doing anything, but he himself could only count his blessings that his ankle was indeed not broken. Whatever was wrong, he could stand on his own, and push back the pain enough to level a flat stare on the teacher and say “I will be fine” before turning to walk through the crowd.

He didn’t look back, didn’t dare stop- But he still wanted to hug Honda for coming up and supporting his shoulder the second the crowd hid the teacher from view.

“ _Dammit_ , Yuugi, you didn’t have to do that- We could have talked that jerk down and gotten you to the nurse!”

“Haha, I know… but it really doesn’t seem like I need it,” Yuugi countered, grinning up at the spiky-haired teen… even as he leaned on him.

“I don’t know,” Bakura mused as he and Jounouchi came up beside them, frowning down at the foot Yuugi tried to keep his weight off of. “It might not be broken, but it could still be a pretty bad sprain.”

“Right, but I can get some ice and rest it at home just as well as I can here-” Yuugi began to answer- Only to cut himself off as he heard his name and looked up, just in time to see Anzu running through the crowd.

Jeez, had news reached all the way to where the girls had been doing a three-legged race?

“Are you alright?! I heard you fell during the tug-of-war and broke your leg- _Why aren’t you guys keeping him off of his feet_?!”

“Haha, it’s not that bad, Anzu-chan…”

* * *

“I’m going to go start cooking dinner. Are you sure you don’t need anything else?”

“I’m good, Mama,” Yuugi assured her with a smile, holding up a handheld game in one hand, and television remote in the other. “I’ve got enough here to keep me busy until next week!”

“Uh-huh… well, make sure that you get some rest, too. You have school in the morning, and I don’t want you staying home unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Right, don’t worry- I’ll be fine.” He couldn’t blame her for being concerned, of course- It must have scared her silly, coming to the door to find Jounouchi there giving him a piggyback ride, saying he wouldn’t put him down until he was in bed!

His mother gave an uncertain hum in answer, but left without any further protest or order. And so, Yuugi was left alone in his room.

He waited to see if she would close the door, but no- She must be keeping an ear out in case he called for help. So he took the remote and turned his television on, changing the channel to some random commercial with a fair amount of noise to it before setting the remote aside and readjusting himself on the cushions propping him up on the bed.

Finally, settled and comfortable, he put his hand to the Puzzle and gave a light ‘prod’ within.

“-Are you still there?”

It was a rhetorical question. He had felt the constant, low hum of his other’s concern and confusion ever since he denied him back at the school.

The question was an invitation, not an inquiry, and the spirit answered it as expected- Materializing as an almost-solid form at Yuugi’s elbow, arms crossed as he stood sudden vigil at his bedside.

The second set of emotions Yuugi had grown used to on the ‘walk’ home grew muffled, as if the spirit conjuring himself outside of the Puzzle somehow muted the chain of emotion between them, but it didn’t really matter- That internal insight was replaced admirably by the opportunity to actually _see_ the uncertainty painted across his other’s face.

_Are you alright, aibou? I know that fall hurt you more than you let on to the others._

Again, a rhetorical question. The spirit knew well enough how it had felt, since he lingered in the same skin Yuugi did. But, like Yuugi’s own question, it served a less direct purpose... His other wanted reassurance that Yuugi _felt_ alright, despite the injury.

“Yeah, I’m okay. It really stung when I first fell and walked on it, but it barely hurts anymore,” Yuugi answered, shifting his leg slightly to indicate the ice wrapped around his raised ankle.

The spirit nodded mutely, but the frown remained steady across his features, and in a few lingering beats, he finally revealed what he truly wanted to ask- Glowering down at Yuugi’s foot the entire time he ‘spoke’. _I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t handle things yourself, when I tried to take over. The teacher just made me so angry, trying to belittle you for getting hurt when it wasn’t your fault. I thought, does he make all of his students do this? Hurt themselves so they won’t be humiliated?_

“I understand,” Yuugi assured him, nodding with a slight frown on his own face. “That concerns me, too, now that you say that- But I just didn’t want to make a scene if we didn’t have to. Honestly- I probably would have let you take over, if I hadn’t been able to get up in the end.” He would like to think he could ‘handle things’ even then, but there was no denying that his other self was the stronger one when it came to putting bullies – traditional or otherwise – in their place.

Again the spirit nodded, his expression lightening, if only slightly, for the explanation Yuugi offered him. But he continued to stare thoughtfully down at the injured foot, and as he watched, Yuugi was hit with an impression – perhaps intuition, perhaps some unconscious awareness of his other self’s manner borne from buried memory - that the spirit was about to dismiss himself and disappear back into the Puzzle.

That feeling made him speak up before he fully formed what to say. “Hey, um-”

The spirit blinked his red eyes - the color soft when not struck with anger or taunts or worry - up on Yuugi, silent question behind his gaze.

And of course, Yuugi stumbled for words, shifting on the bed until he finally settled on _just saying it_ , scratching the back of his head as he dared ask, “Maybe I’m just imagining things, but… you’ve been keeping to yourself a lot this week. This tumble was the first time I’d ‘heard’ from you in a while… Is something wrong?”

…Perhaps he _was_ imagining things, because his other only looked more surprised.

The impulse to laugh and wave off the question was a strong one, but not as strong as his concern that there _might_ be something to it- So Yuugi just stared right back, mirroring the question in the spirit’s gaze until the intangible one of the pair finally shook his head.

_No, of course not- I haven’t come out of the Puzzle lately, that’s true, but that’s because you and our friends haven’t needed me. I didn’t sense any of you in danger, or distressed at any point, at least… and I know you’ve been busy – catching up with school, helping in the shop and for the event – and I didn’t want to take up your time by borrowing your body when it wasn’t necessary._

“-Well, that was kind of you,” Yuugi answered semi-numbly, still working to process the full meaning of the words, even as he answered the last portion. “I would have been happy to let you borrow it for a bit if you wanted to, but I _was_ doing a lot this week, yeah, and it’d probably be a pain to have to write that paper _for_ me, so… wait-” His back tensed with realization, and the sharpness must have shown in his face, too, because the spirit stiffened at whatever he saw when he looked at him. “What do you mean, ‘haven’t needed you’? In danger, distressed…”

The spirit kept staring at him, as if expecting some further comment – something that wasn’t already ‘obvious’ in its answer – but eventually edged into a reply to what he had been given to work with. _Yes, has it not been quiet this week? I did not sense any issues from your end of our link._

“No, there hasn’t been. But why does that explain you staying hidden away?” Yuugi clenched his fingers into his pajama pants, but worked to keep his expression relaxed, imploring- “You’re always quick to come out and help us when there’s trouble, that’s true, but… you don’t think you should only come out when we ‘need’ you, right?”

 _-Of course not_. The answer was too quick, _too_ confident, and Yuugi’s gaze narrowed as the spirit broke their gaze to glance nonchalantly at the television, drowning out the verbal half of their conversation from any who might walk in. _You know I sometimes come out, just for myself. But like I said, you have been busy, and there was no call for me to come out, was there? Take your body and time from you for my own use?_

“No, but…” But what? Yuugi didn’t really have sound words to explain his protest, real as it was. He just knew the idea that his other half only thought to come out when his help was _necessary_ \- It sat wrong with him.

But the spirit- He was looking at him again, Yuugi could sense it even as he stared at his knuckles… and the answer tumbled out of him before he even really formed the question. “You think of us as your friends, too, right?” Even ‘separated’ by a good foot or so, the emotions stifled by that canyon of distance, Yuugi could feel the shock reverberating off of his other, and it prompted him to look up into that wide, struck stare as he went on, finally conscious of what disturbed him about it all. “You and I, _we’re_ friends, right?” Even if they hadn’t spoken much to one another, outside of the necessity of danger and the rush of adrenaline that came with it?

 _Of course we are!_ The spirit answered the moment he unfroze from his shock, his usual intense insistence behind every word- and a strange, frenzied shakiness beneath that that Yuugi did not recognize, but still managed to splash through his chest with a reassuring warmth. _Why would you even have to ask?_ ‘Was he, really not sure?’ The spirit hadn’t spoken that part… but still, Yuugi could swear he heard it.

And he shook his head, his own distress well and thoroughly banished. “Then, isn’t it natural for us to talk, even if I’m not in danger or hurt?” He smiled weakly up to the spirit, seeking recognition- agreement, in his other’s suddenly thrown expression. “Jounouchi-kun, Honda-kun, Bakura-kun and Anzu-chan- I talk to them all of the time, even when there’s nothing much to say, because they’re my friends. So, if you’re my friend, too… I know you like to be alone with your thoughts a lot, even when you _are_ out in my body, but still-”

 _I would like to talk to you._ The answer was so sudden and quiet that Yuugi snapped his mouth shut to stare checkingly up into his other’s eyes… and they were, indeed, set on him. Steady, and heavy with the same soft emotion that Yuugi heard in his words. The sincerity of feeling there made Yuugi’s insides crawl with a skittish, uncertain feeling that warmed his face and neck, but it wasn’t unpleasant- It just stole his voice for too long, until the spirit spoke on on his own, frowning down at the comforter over Yuugi’s legs. _I just… don’t know what to talk about… not when there are no games or dangers involved._

“Well-” Yuugi’s eyes drifted to the television, impulsively seeking something, _anything_ to mention, and stay the awkwardness rising back up between them- But the cartoon show on the screen was an unfamiliar, uninteresting-looking one, and it offered nothing of value. The visual distraction was enough, however, to free his mind to scurry about, until it landed on something far more promising- And he could look shyly up at the spirit with a sound question at his lips. “How about earlier today, before the tug-of-war started? I could have sworn I felt irritation from your end… was that really you?”

The spirit stared at him for a long breath, clearly unsure what Yuugi meant… only for comprehension to pop into his expression, and that _same_ ruffled feeling slid through Yuugi’s mind. _Yes- I was just checking in on you for a moment, to make sure all was well, and I noticed what you were thinking about taking part in the game… It concerned me, how badly you thought of yourself then._

“Huh?” Yuugi hadn’t expected to have the moment thrown back at him like that, and it took him a second to realize- _Oh_. He flushed with embarrassment as he laughed awkwardly. “A-ha, right, the tug-of-war… that wasn’t odd, was it? I mean, that game takes upper body strength, and that’s just not where my strengths lie, right?”

 _Still-_ The spirit didn’t follow up the thought, choosing to glower out of the skylight with an air of… well, Yuugi was used to seeing his spirit irked, but there was something uniquely, _benign_ about the emotion on his face right then. He was far less threatening or imposing, and much more… grumbly…

The shift was intriguing enough that Yuugi managed to distract his other self simply by staring him, as the spirit eventually noticed and ebbed into staring back, arching a brow curiously.

Yuugi just grinned, shaking his head. “Nothing.” And the spirit could only blink, nonplussed.

The mood thus lightened, Yuugi’s gaze shifted slowly down to his lap… and the handheld he had dropped near his knee.

The television might not have much to offer, but _that_ -

“Anyways, who says we can’t talk games _without_ danger?” Indeed, Duel Monsters might take a natural center stage to their mutual thoughts in recent days, but there was no denying that Yuugi still liked so many others- And he saw how his other’s interest instantly piqued when Yuugi held up the system. “I haven’t started playing yet, but I know _exactly_ where I was when I stopped yesterday. I’m still trying to win against the water gym, since I picked a Charmander to start with, and I don’t have any grass-types.”

 _…Wasn’t there a Mankey you could catch on Route 4?_ the spirit asked after a long, hesitating moment, craning a bit to see the screen as Yuugi turned on the system. _It doesn’t have the type advantage, but it wouldn’t be vulnerable to attacks, either._

“Right, but I was wondering if I should stop at that, or travel back to Route 3 and try to catch a Jigglypuff again-” Looking up and seeing how the spirit was bending himself around to look, Yuugi shifted slightly closer to the wall and gestured beside him, continuing on only after the spirit moved to ‘sit’ sideways on the bed’s edge, right by Yuugi’s propped cushions. “The Sing ability might come in handy.”

_Perhaps, but traveling back that far will involve over-leveling your current team, unless you plan to run in every fight. That might destroy the challenge of the gym._

“Huh, you might be right… What if I caught the Mankey first, used it at the start of every battle I run into inside Mount Moon - to help level it up enough - switched to a Jigglypuff on the way back, and then went into the gym with _just_ the two of them?”

_Ah, now that **would** be a challenge._

“Exactly,” Yuugi said with a grin, earning a light one in return- just as the game’s theme started to play on the system, and he moved to hit START.


End file.
